Women Reason to switch gyms?

[Gymmom2001]

My daughter competed level 3 this year as a 6 year old (turned 7 a few days ago). She ended the season with a 37.25 at state - First on bars (9.775) and low 9s on the other events, 6th all around. Her current gym decides levels in April (before state) and it was decided she would repeat 3. There were about 30 level 3 girls and at least half are repeating. My initial thoughts were she’ll be with her friends and have an amazing year as a second year 3 but as time went on she has started feeling bored and not very challenged. They worked 4 skills for about a month but once summer started it was back to 3 skills and very little time spent on 4. She has her kip, cartwheel on Beam and a few other 4 skills but very little time is spent working on them. Vault will be a definite challenge because she is small. Her best gym friend quit and a few other girls have quit or moved gyms. I spoke with a gym just down the road from current gym and she would train 4 all summer there along with all their girls who just completed 3 and they don’t decide levels until fall. Season starts November. So she may end up a level 3 there again if she can’t get the 4 skills competition ready by then but at least she had the chance to try for 4. She is ok with repeating at that point because she feels like she was given a chance and will know what skills she does not have. Current gym said she does not have the grace and technique to move up a level even if she has the skills. There is no option to train 4 and compete 3 if not ready at current gym. I have already brought up my concerns to her coaches about her being bored and not challenged. They were surprised she was bored and said they can’t move every bored 7 year old up a level and repeating levels is very common. I’m not asking for her to be moved up, I know it’s not my decision. I just want her to be challenged. I also know repeating is going to happen but why not save it for the years she will struggle or have a mental block, etc? She practiced at new gym yesterday and loved it so I think our decision is probably made but in your opinion is this a reason to switch gyms? Should I trust her current coaches? I don’t want to be that mom that thinks she knows better than the coaches!

 

[Seeker]

I think it makes sense - especially if the new gym is a good fit for your family for other reasons as well. Gym’s that are so rigid with a general, one-size-fits-all approach don’t work for many kids and it sounds like it might not be a good fit long term. I do agree that lots of kids repeat levels, but L3 isn’t one I’d prefer to have my daughter repeat. If she needed to repeat - repeat L4 or 5 as the skills are more progressive for long term.

 

[IreneKa]

I would look at the overall success of both gyms. Does the new gym have a good size optional team? Are there a lot of L10s, majority of them home-grown, qualifying to Nationals, getting college scholarships, etc.?
I agree that it's ridiculous to not even uptrain L4 after scoring 37+ at L3. But if the new gym in not successful long term, competing L4 now will not help her in the long run. You will end up having to look for another gym yet again in a few years, and she might end up repeating even more levels if the training is not strong enough.
On the other hand if the new gym is just as successful or better than the old one, then hell yes, there is no good reason to waste another year on L3.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

How would they plan to give her the grace????

Repeating levels is common, repeating level 3 when you are scoring a 38 and not working up level skills. Yeah no

Change gyms

 

[gymmom10]

Your child has shown proficiency at L3. More than proficiency with very good scores. I can understand holding her back if she has not achieved her skills for the next level, but to decide that beforehand and not really allow her to train for the next level is a little ridiculous. Now they may have some other reasons that are not being factored in here (immaturity etc), but if this is all it is, I would consider going elsewhere.

 

[gymdog]

If the new gym works better for you or you like it more, go for it. Don't expect her to learn more in the short term just because they're going to get you to sign up and pay by promising what you want.

 

[John]

Like @Seeker says if the new gym fits your family and your daughter's needs and desires, move. I honestly beleive athletes get better when training up a level, no matter the sport. I would ask you what your DD goals are but she is young and probably like most dreams of the stars. Find a gym that fits you and your child, then be happy. If things change or dreams and desires grow with time re-evaluate. My two cents.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

3 should only be repeated if 4 is not happening . Meaning they are going to either not compete skills or they will get butts kicked bad. I know a few gyms that repeat 3 just to win state team. Hope this is not the case They should be absolutely up training because well... it's level 3..

 

[triplethreat+1]

I would switch if it was my dd. Honestly most 6yr olds lack grace... It develops as they get older. I don't see why she shouldn't continue to learn new skills in the mean time.
And if the gym has already done the uptraining phase and is back to perfecting lvl 3 skills... It won't matter how good a gym it is if she quits from being bored and underchallenged. To me, it's not a good thing that the coaches were 'surprised' when you told them. Seems like they are not paying enough individual attention.

 

[Gymmom2001]

Thank you all for the replies! Really helps to know I’m not crazy. I met with her current coach today to talk again about her not being challenged and they really have no solution. He basically told me she will repeat either 3 or 4 and that they want her to repeat so she can win a lot and possibly even get 1st AA at state and at that point she’ll have a lot of confidence going into level 4. She already has confidence from her 1st year at level 3 and feels ready to leave it behind if she can get all the 4 skills. She had one practice at the new gym this week, first time ever doing the L4 bar routine and she did amazing. I see no problem with her getting where she needs to be in a few months to compete L4 bars. Vault on the other hand could be a problem and could possibly keep her a 3. That’s where her confidence comes from - getting new skills and working hard and achieving the goals she sets for herself. Not winning at meets as a 2nd year L3.

The new gym has a much stronger optionals program. Lots of L10s, college scholarships, etc. so there’s a good chance we would have made the switch eventually. Just didn’t plan to make it now. Current gym and new gym do not get along, so lots of drama with us even looking at the gym. No need to get into it here but it has not been fun.

 

[3rd_time_around]

It is a rare thing at my dd's gym for gymnasts to repeat compulsory levels. There has to be extreme circumstances, or they did not qualify to state. There is only 1 gymnast repeating this season out of about 77 compulsory gymnasts levels 1 - 5, and only because of some serious health issues and other reasons during the past season. This past season Levels 1, 2, 4, and 5 won state team with no repeaters. If she has the skills, competes well, and has decent scores from last year, there really is no reason to hold her back. Repeat at the optional level. If the new gym is a good fit, go with it. I hope she has good success.

 

[Seeker]

Move to the new gym...sounds like a much better structure and philosophy.

 

[RTT2]

New gym sounds like a better fit.

 

[Aussie_coach]

In the gymnastics there are certain windows of opportunity, certain ages when it is ideal to be developing certain aspects of training. If these windows are ignored it will affect what is ultimately achieved in the gymnasts career.

When they are young it is the window for learning skills, skills, skills. This becomes harder when they get older unless they develop a high enough level prior to puberty.

Developing the grace you see with older kids, is a later window of opportunity. Many little ones just aren’t ready to learn it.

 

[momnipotent]

Sounds like it’s time to move. Good luck!

 

[amiandjim]

Thank you all for the replies! Really helps to know I’m not crazy. I met with her current coach today to talk again about her not being challenged and they really have no solution. He basically told me she will repeat either 3 or 4 and that they want her to repeat so she can win a lot and possibly even get 1st AA at state and at that point she’ll have a lot of confidence going into level 4. She already has confidence from her 1st year at level 3 and feels ready to leave it behind if she can get all the 4 skills. She had one practice at the new gym this week, first time ever doing the L4 bar routine and she did amazing. I see no problem with her getting where she needs to be in a few months to compete L4 bars. Vault on the other hand could be a problem and could possibly keep her a 3. That’s where her confidence comes from - getting new skills and working hard and achieving the goals she sets for herself. Not winning at meets as a 2nd year L3.

The new gym has a much stronger optionals program. Lots of L10s, college scholarships, etc. so there’s a good chance we would have made the switch eventually. Just didn’t plan to make it now. Current gym and new gym do not get along, so lots of drama with us even looking at the gym. No need to get into it here but it has not been fun.

That’s total nonsense, IMO, and I would absolutely move her. The gym wants to waste her time and your money so they can say she won AA at state at level 3. I could see it if she were scoring 32-35 the first year of level 3, and lacked confidence, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. And a blanket statement of “she will have to repeat either 3 or 4” is also nonsense. Lots of gymnast repeat early levels, and lots of gymnasts do not repeat early levels. It should always be based on the needs and progress of each girl.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Whenever we repeat a 3 they spend 70 percent of time on L4 skills .... because .... THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE MISSING!

 

[Ali'sMom]

I'd move to the new gym in a heartbeat.
My DD did really well in L3. We compete through April, so that's when new skills really start. She was one of the last ones to get her kip, in july, and then she was out all of august and september with mono (we start competing in September). She came back with 3 weeks before the first meet she could compete in, and the kip was come & go, the vault left a little to be desired. (with mono she wasn't even allowed to stretch, much less do any conditioning). Not once did her coaches consider her repeating L3, unless she absolutely wanted to. (she did manage a couple of ugly kips in that first meet, and did get herself over the vault table).
The fact that your gym won't even let her try working through Level 4 all summer, and then repeat L3 if she doesn't get it, is a BIG red flag to me. BIG.
Run. Fast!

 

[CoachAlex]

We repeat our compulsory kids if they struggled at their current level, or if they did well at the current level, but are struggling with the skills for the next level. That being said, ALL of our girls uptrain throughout the year - so we have a few of our 3s repeating (NONE were scoring high 37s, but in the 34-35 range) - but they will train both 3 and 4 skills, and if they are ready may get to do a meet at 4.

If the new gym has a better optional structure/etc., it sounds like that is where she needs to be anyway.

Good luck!

 

[Aero]

My daughter competed level 3 this year as a 6 year old (turned 7 a few days ago). She ended the season with a 37.25 at state - First on bars (9.775) and low 9s on the other events, 6th all around. Her current gym decides levels in April (before state) and it was decided she would repeat 3. There were about 30 level 3 girls and at least half are repeating. My initial thoughts were she’ll be with her friends and have an amazing year as a second year 3 but as time went on she has started feeling bored and not very challenged. They worked 4 skills for about a month but once summer started it was back to 3 skills and very little time spent on 4. She has her kip, cartwheel on Beam and a few other 4 skills but very little time is spent working on them. Vault will be a definite challenge because she is small. Her best gym friend quit and a few other girls have quit or moved gyms. I spoke with a gym just down the road from current gym and she would train 4 all summer there along with all their girls who just completed 3 and they don’t decide levels until fall. Season starts November. So she may end up a level 3 there again if she can’t get the 4 skills competition ready by then but at least she had the chance to try for 4. She is ok with repeating at that point because she feels like she was given a chance and will know what skills she does not have. Current gym said she does not have the grace and technique to move up a level even if she has the skills. There is no option to train 4 and compete 3 if not ready at current gym. I have already brought up my concerns to her coaches about her being bored and not challenged. They were surprised she was bored and said they can’t move every bored 7 year old up a level and repeating levels is very common. I’m not asking for her to be moved up, I know it’s not my decision. I just want her to be challenged. I also know repeating is going to happen but why not save it for the years she will struggle or have a mental block, etc? She practiced at new gym yesterday and loved it so I think our decision is probably made but in your opinion is this a reason to switch gyms? Should I trust her current coaches? I don’t want to be that mom that thinks she knows better than the coaches!

You should definitely move her. The current gym seems like a factory that just churns out podium finishers in order to adorn the walls with more banners. The fact that they do not have a strong optional program is obvious evidence of this, too.

The real benefits of children doing this sport are the life lessons they learn, like working hard at things that challenge them. What will she learn by staying at the current gym? Always work in your comfort zone so you can always win? Sounds pretty awful to me.

You’re a good mommy for doing your research and looking for a better situation for your daughter. Let us know how it all turns out!